Where is the best place for an evening meal these days, an hour north or south of Bordeaux ?. Coming down from Angloueme heading for Irun.
Ex Haulier:
Where is the best place for an evening meal these days, an hour north or south of Bordeaux ?. Coming down from Angloueme heading for Irun.
None of the service area’s on ‘the forrest road’ are up to much in the food stakes so I’d carry on a little more and head for Castettes, unless that is the ‘cabbage patch’ has opened up again. For all the bad reports you could get a decent meal and a shower, if you could find a place to park!!!
Ross.
Bordeaux.
L’Albatros
Wheel Nut:
Bordeaux.L’Albatros
Où est ce ?
bigr250:
Wheel Nut:
Bordeaux.L’Albatros
Où est ce ?
Behind the Centre Routier, down a side street, limited parking but is walkable from the CR
Wheel Nut:
bigr250:
Wheel Nut:
Bordeaux.L’Albatros
Où est ce ?
Behind the Centre Routier, down a side street, limited parking but is walkable from the CR
Cheers WN, I might have been there some years ago (late 90’s) but I stopped useing the Centre Routier as sleep was broken constantly through the night by the ‘knocking on the door’!!!
Ross.
bigr250:
Wheel Nut:
bigr250:
Wheel Nut:
Bordeaux.L’Albatros
Où est ce ?
Behind the Centre Routier, down a side street, limited parking but is walkable from the CR
Cheers WN, I might have been there some years ago (late 90’s) but I stopped useing the Centre Routier as sleep was broken constantly through the night by the ‘knocking on the door’!!!
Ross.
There is a limited amount of parking outside on the street. I used it often but I used to drop my trailer in our depot and run down solo. If you park in the CR, walk down to the roundabout and turn right, it is just after the 3rd street corner if I remember, brilliant Patron and a good choice of menu. I know what you mean about the knocking, and they are not all ladies 
Or if you carry on past where WN has said ,under the bridge ,past the U boat pens ,roundabout left and park on the Quays there are 2 decent restaurants there.
There are a few Rouitiers on the forrest road,south of Bordeaux,one is exit at Liposthey.They all get full at 18.oo onwards,and one of them as a barrier,where the patrons wife controls parking,to stop trailer box eaters filling truck spaces.It is the driving time,you wont make Dieppe to Castets on one card.Years ago,drivers could write on the back of the tacho,exceeded drive time to reach a restaurant/shower/safe parking,as the Gendarmes were happy with that,but i would not try that now.The serice station stops on the forrest road are not that good,and allways fill up fast.They all offer hgv discounts if you say “chaffeur”.Some up to 20% to 25% of full price.
One time at Castets,if was so full,i had to park up at the entrance slip,with the old bill knocking me up to move me on.
At the CR at Bordeaux,if walk behind the parking,there is “Josephs” run by Algerian and Moroccans,very kind owners,shower,not fit for a dog,but does the job.Cous Cous and Tangine meals.Thats under the big bridge.
Has anyone ever eaten in one of those places with the cow horns on the roof, i presume they are steak houses. Any good, very expensive ?. I like my food and insist on a proper good meal a couple of times a week.
Buffalo grills are okay mate but if I were you I’d try to make Liposthey,take the exit, turn left over the top & routiers is on the right, “the relais de la poste” excellent food and drink, or beyond that try Cap de Pin again turn left at end of slip, over top & left into village,routiers is on the left. 
If he wants Pernod and cheap drinks from Irun,it is cheap to park in the truck parking by the warehouses.It is the customs TIR parking,but that is at the bottom of the park.Take a ticket,and pay the guard on the way out.First exit out of the French/Basque border off the toll road,last peage in France.Follow sign for parking.Pay by the hour,not expensive,or wander down to Hendaye or Irun for tourist and drivers bargains.There is a laundrymat for the Willi Betz brigade to wash the flip flops in.Tobacco is available at reasonable prices.
Dont park anywhere else,they clamp there a lot,unless you are tipping in Irun,theres a bigger truck parking up the hill,fuel bunkers etc.
The routiers at j43 on the a10 at carbon blanc bordeaux is very good,its very popular with french drivers which is a good sign but its difficult to get parked up after 18.00.
CALUM:
but its difficult to get parked up after 18.00.
Hi Calum, it seems anywhere worth stopping at in France is close to impossible to park at after 6pm.
Ross.
bigr250:
CALUM:
but its difficult to get parked up after 18.00.Hi Calum, it seems anywhere worth stopping at in France is close to impossible to park at after 6pm.
Ross.
And ever so civilised too , an hour at the bar with an aperitif before some jolly banter with a multi lingual audience and 5 course meal before finishing off with a cafe cognac.
I used to use the bp truckstop at bordeaux but that was a few years ago.
Knitters:
I used to use the bp truckstop at bordeaux but that was a few years ago.
Which thankfully in my opinion, is now closed, it was ok for a shower on the way home but there were much better places to be weekended. Unfortunately the modern French driver has taken to camion stew and worse MacDonalds muck 
How about Le Pacific, that was a little north of Bordeaux on RN10, or push on a bit to Vivonne, always a decent feed in both of those places.
newmercman:
How about Le Pacific, that was a little north of Bordeaux on RN10, or push on a bit to Vivonne, always a decent feed in both of those places.
Vivonne, must be the largest menu choice of any routier, plus the fact you just keep helping yourself to wine from the fridge
I took some friends in there when we had been racing in France, they were amazed at my generosity when i said I would pay for it all
Vivonne was crap the last time I ate there, albeit that was 18 months ago - its also a lot further than an hour north of Bordeaux being just south of Poitiers.
In my humble opinion the best food availabe on the N10 (and just south of Angouleme) is the centre routier at Barbizieux St Hilaire. it now costs 5 euro to park, but this is taken off the price of your meal.